Coimbatore: More than 1000 volunteers held an awareness campaign on the global Movement to Save Soil today in Coimbatore. Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, launched the Movement last month in an urgent bid to reverse and halt further soil degradation which could lead to soil extinction.

Wearing brightly coloured, hard to miss SaveSoil T-shirts, the volunteers gathered at the Gandhipuram Bus stand where they distributed leaflets and spoke about the threat of soil extinction and its horrific consequences for Humanity.

“Soil resources are declining rapidly not only in Tamil Nadu but globally. The UN says that soil must have at least 3 percent organic matter to be called soil. However, in soils in Tamil Nadu this amount is only 0.5 percent. Thus, not only is agriculture affected but the nutrients in the food we eat are depleted and the health of the people is greatly affected,” they said explaining the purpose behind the launch of the Movement to Save Soil.

It is estimated that nutrients obtained from one orange 100 years ago are available in 8 oranges today due to loss of soil nutrients. Studies in the United States show that nutrient value in food has decreased 80-90% in the last 100 years.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says the world can only farm for the next 60 years with the current soil resources. Scientists say the world’s population will increase to 930 crores by 2045, but food production will be 40 percent lower than it is now. To avert catastrophic food and water shortages, immediate policy-driven action is needed to save soil which can turn the situation around in the next 15 to 20 years.

In a bid to build global consensus for decisive action, Sadhguru has embarked on a 100-day 30,000 km lone motorcycle journey across Europe, Central Asia and Africa to urge nations around the world to formulate policies to save soil from extinction.

Starting his journey from London on March 21, Sadhuru has traveled through several countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria and Serbia. He has met with various political, social, business and cultural leaders besides celebrities and the media to raise awareness about soil extinction. Sadhguru has also held public events in all cities to rally the citizens of the world behind the Movement to Save Soil. Sadhguru’s journey will culminate in the Cauvery river basin in June this year.

The volunteers stated that they were holding the awareness event to demonstrate support for the Save Soil Movement which has received a phenomenal response internationally. “We also want to create awareness among the general public about this”, they said.

The awareness program was held across several districts in Tamil Nadu as well as various states in India.